Jim Hodges on Education

Former Democratic SC Governor

$10M more for preschools

We need to strengthen our commitment to education. Our budget provides an additional $10 million to expand our preschool initiative, First Steps to School Readiness. These funds will expand First Steps and provide grants for all 46 counties in South
Carolina. We’re also funding the Excellence in Middle Schools initiative. These funds will give middle schools the flexibility to hire additional school resource officers, guidance counselors or nurses.

Source: Remarks on Legislative Initiatives
Jan 8, 2001

Sales tax holiday for back-to-school items

As a parent, I know that the purchase of required school supplies, uniforms and band instruments represent some of the hidden costs of public education.
That’s why we proposed the creation of a sales tax holiday on all purchases of clothes and back-to-school items during the first weekend in August.

Source: Remarks on Legislative Initiatives
Jan 8, 2001

Improve and invest in public schools.

Hodges is a member of the Democratic Governors Association:

Principles of the Democratic Governors Association:

IMPROVING PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND INVESTING IN OUR YOUNGEST CHILDREN

Democratic Governors are leading the way with highly-trained teachers, strong standards and accountability, increased funding to repair and modernize public school facilities, access to technology and computers, and more discipline and safety in the classrooms.
Democratic Governors believe the most important aspect to insure a child’s education is to have the best possible teachers in the classroom. They believe that we must value teachers as professionals, encourage their development to be the best teachers they can be for our children and compensate them accordingly. Democratic Governors favor greater parental choice, but oppose measures that weaken public schools diverting taxpayer dollars to private schools with no accountability for results. Democratic Governors around the country are also forming innovative public-private partnerships to create programs to provide early childhood education, nutrition and health care services to ensure that our children have the best possible start in life.